Consumer electronics requirements demand more integrated circuits in an integrated circuit package while paradoxically providing less physical space in the system for the increased integrated circuits content. Cost reduction is a continuous requirement. Some technologies primarily focus on integrating more functions into each integrated circuit. Other technologies focus on stacking these integrated circuits into a single package. While these approaches provide more functions within an integrated circuit, they do not fully address the requirements for lower height, smaller space, and cost reduction.
Modern consumer electronics, such as smart phones, personal digital assistants, and location based services devices, are packing more integrated circuits into an ever shrinking physical space with expectations for decreasing cost. Numerous technologies have been developed to meet these requirements. Some of the research and development strategies focus on new package technologies while others focus on improving the existing and mature package technologies. Research and development in the existing package technologies may take a myriad of different directions.
One proven way to reduce cost is to use mature package technologies with existing manufacturing methods and equipments. Paradoxically, the reuse of existing manufacturing processes does not typically result in the reduction of package dimensions. Still the demand continues for lower cost, smaller size and more functionality. Continued integration and stacking of integrated circuits into a single integrated circuit package increases manufacturing complexity with decreased yield resulting in increased package cost, height, or both.
A variation of existing technologies uses mature package technologies with spacers between the integrated circuits of the stack. However, fabrication and insertion of the spacers require additional or separate manufacturing processes from the integrated circuit manufacturing process or the stack packaging process. Spacers may present other problems, such as uniform height or different size, to fit the various integrated circuit sizes in a stacked configuration.
Thus, a need still remains for a stacked integrated circuit package system providing low cost, low profile, and high yield. In view of the ever-increasing need to save costs and improve efficiencies, it is more and more critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.